Page 162 of Bloom
“After about three weeks of him being here.”
“Why?”
“I think he thought admitting a big thing would also make me trust him more.” Zacharie paused. “He used to tell me bits and things about people he’s known before. Stuff you likely shouldn’t blurt to anyone, and he’d say to keep it a secret, and he was only telling me because he knew I was someone he could trust. Honestly, it made me feel good that he trusted me and could say anything.”
That made sense. It was a way to make him feel important. Since he’d told Father’s secret, which had likely crushed part of Zacharie’s self-esteem, Gautier had wanted to “build him back up,” and if he was the one to do it, it would seal their bond more. Zacharie would feel as though Gautier was the only man he could truly trust to be honest.
Without any huge family secrets to hurt Aleric with, he’d gone more for compliments such as telling him he seemed older and more mature. Stroking the ego of the oldest son had worked for a while.
What a sneaky, devious bastard.
“What did he say about Jaime?” asked Aleric.
“He said he had a fling with a woman in a village. After she had the baby, he came around a few times to see it in secret. She was married, so...Her last name was Meyer, and that’s Jaime’s last name.”
“But…a baby might not look like anyone. It’s a baby, not an adult. How would he recognize him later?”
“He said Jaime looked very much like her, and he’d recognize him anywhere. And when he stopped coming by to see her, because she was afraid her husband would find out, they exchanged a couple of letters. Once she sent him a tiny portrait of Jaime on a wooden disk. He was twelve.”
The lie was plausible. A lord who has an affair with a married woman might not be in the child’s life very much, and he mightget a few things over the years simply so he knows his son or daughter is well.
“Alex said they lost contact, and when he tried to write, the messenger returned and said there were no Meyer’s in the village anymore. The family was dead, and his son, Jaime, had left to wander.”
“And in this story, Jaime never knew the truth.”
“Exactly.” Zacharie sighed. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could believe it. They don’t look much alike. Alex showed me an old portrait of himself. When he was younger…you can see more similarities. It’s not so apparent now because Alex was much older.”
Dear Elira, how he’d twisted that around. Of course, Gautier never would have admitted to raping a woman and later killing her whole family.
“Alex was angry you’d taken his son as an aid and wasn’t letting him leave. He didn’t know what to do and wasn’t keen on opening up either. ‘How do you go up to a man and say you’re his Father?’ And then, after the rest of his bullshit about you trying to kill me to get me out of the way…you were getting married, and I had a feeling you were up the stick anyway since it was so hasty, so I blurted it out and made it sound hurtful so you wouldn’t drink with me…I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry I said I wished you were remembered by a glass flower in my window. And for pushing you away so much.”
“I’m sorry for being a little shit.”
“You reacted to my actions. I’m also sorry I didn’t look through the cards. I knew Gautier had given them to you, and I thought it was an insult.”
“I gave them to you because I figured you’d at least want to look at the art. I didn’t know you knew he’d given them as a gift.”
“I heard Father talking about it with Gautier once,” said Aleric. “It was ages ago, and you weren’t around.”
“Are you marrying Jaime?”
“Yes.”
Zacharie took a deep breath. “I think I’d rather go to bed now.”
“Father wants to talk to you.”
“I’ll do it tomorrow. I know he’s upset. I just…I’m tired, and tonight was…tell him I’ll see him tomorrow.”
He stood and made to go up the stairs until Aleric spoke.
“I can’t make up for what I’ve done, but…I’m sorry again, Zacharie. For everything.”
Zacharie paused. “I’ll forgive you if you forgive me because I could have not reacted like I did to your actions.”
Aleric nodded. “I forgive you.”
